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Office of Financial Aid
Teachers College, Columbia University
Student Employment > Graduate Assistantships

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Student Employment

Graduate Assistantships

Note: The Office of Financial Aid is not involved in the hiring process.  We assist students after they have been hired in getting their benefits processed.

There are three different types of graduate assistantship positions:

Research/Teaching Graduate Assistant Position
Account Number: 6181
  • Description: A Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant (GRTA) receives a benefit from the College in the form of salary and tuition points (usually) for the performance of academically relevant services to Teachers College. The position must be related to the student’s academic program and must further the education of the recipient. GRTA positions are available to full-time and part-time masters and doctoral degree candidates who are registered for at least six points (or equivalent).
  • Salary: May earn $500-$5000 (usually) per semester.
  • Points:
    • Non-grants - will usually receive one point of tuition for every $500 of salary up to a maximum of three points per semester, six points per academic year (Fall, Spring, Summer).
    • Grants - will usually receive a maximum of 3 points per semester, 6 points per academic year (Fall, Spring, Summer) for a salary of $4000 or more.
    • These points appear as part of a student's financial aid package.
Students interested in learning more about these opportunities must contact their departments directly.

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Graduate Administrative Assistant Position
Account Number: 6411
  • Description: Graduate Administrative Assistants (GAA) are similar to the College’s current part-time professional position. The position is primarily for students seeking positions outside of their academic departments, where they perform work not primarily related to their academic/professional pursuits. GAA positions are available to full-time and part-time masters and doctoral degree candidates who are registered for at least six points (or equivalent).
  • Salary: May earn $500-$5000 (usually) per semester.
  • Points: Will usually receive one point of tuition for every $500 of salary up to a maximum of three points per semester, six points per academic year (Fall, Spring, Summer). These points show up as resources processed through the Office of Student Accounts; they do not appear as part of a student's actual financial aid package.
These positions typically become available at the beginning of each term/semester. Newly admitted students should ideally apply closer to the beginning of each semester/term.  Please visit the TC Human Resources website to search for available GAA positions.

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Doctoral Research Fellowship Graduate Assistant Position
Account Number: 6441
  • Description: Doctoral Research Fellowship (DRF) positions have been created to allow students admitted to the College’s Ph.D and Ed.D programs time to pursue their studies and begin their independent research without any teaching or other work commitments. Students holding a Doctoral Research Fellowship may not work or combine the tuition credits/points with other scholarships and may not hold another position at TC.
  • Salary: May earn $20-$25,000 (usually) per academic year.
  • Points: Will usually receive up to 24 credits of tuition per academic year. These points appear as part of a student's financial aid package.

Students interested in learning more about these opportunities must contact their departments directly.

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Policy Notes:
  • Graduate assistantships are NOT available for full-time employees at TC, Columbia, or Barnard.
  • Graduate assistantships do not receive any additional benefits such as health benefits, nor can they qualify for union representation
  • Points are usually only available to be used during the semester of the appointment.
  • Points are not transferable between academic years.
  • Students can hold more than one assistantship.
  • All graduate assistantship points are solely for tuition purpose (excluding fees).
  • Graduate assistantship points cannot be used for tuition charges associated to courses that are dropped/withdrawn.
  • GRTA and DRF points are reflected in the financial aid package, while GAA points are reflected through a credit on the student's account.
  • If GRTA and DRF have other aid that is tuition-based, adjustments will need to be made to the financial aid package that may affect points eligibility.
  • Regardless of the types of graduate assistantships and the amount of positions they hold, students are limited to a total of three points per term, six points for the academic year, for GRTA and GAA.
Special Summer GA Policy Requirements
Hiring GAs in the summer is allowed on a case-by-case basis, and if departments have GA funding available.
  • To receive points and salary:
    1. Must register for six billable credits in the summer A, B, or AB sessions; COEs do not count toward this term.
    2. Must not have received six points already through the GA program in Fall/Spring terms
    3. Must work for the full summer, late-May to mid-August.
  • To receive salary only:
    1. must register for three credits in the summer A, B, or AB sessions.
Note: Students working either for the length of summer A or summer B can receive only a salary for that given period.